Electric-circuit-closing means



Jan. '10, 1928. 1,655,430

' H. L. MERRICK ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CLOSING MEANS Filed May 10, 1924 Patented Jan.- 1 0, 1928. v

UNITED STATES HERBERT L. mama orrAss Ic, NEWJEBSEY.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT-CLOSING MEANS. 3

Application filed May 10,

a This invention relates to electric circuit closing means including a movable contact member operativefrom a moving part of a mechanism or apparatus .to contact with a contact member of a mobile electriccurrent conducting material connected. in the circuit vvlth the movable contact member which is to be closed, sa1d mobile contact being in the form of aglobule projected into the path of the movable member the head of the mobile materialof which said globule forms a part,'wherebythere will ,be practically nofrictional resistance-to the movementof the movable ,contactmember which might affect the mechanism or apparatus from which the movable contact member is actuated, and it is the object of like partsthroughout the ditferentyiews of the invention to provide an electric circuit closingmeans ofthis character which is simple in structure, positive and constant :in operation. v

The invention 15 particularly adapted for use in connectionwith balances andauto matic weighing mechanism tocausenn n-,

dicator to be actuated to indicate the condition of the weighing mechanism, such for instance as to indicate whether it is in overload or underload position or in equilibrium,

or to close the circuit .ata predetermined position of the weighing mechanism to ac tuate a, signal device, a recording mechanism or a printing mechanism, and to open the circuitwvhen the Weighing mechanism is moved out of said position; I

In the drawing accompanyingand torming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a perspective View of an electric circuit closlng device showing an embodimentof a construction and arrangement in accordance with'my' invention the sainepbeing arranged upon a mounting support therefor and inelectrical connection with an electric; circuit maker and breaker to be controlled; by the circuit closing means for actuating a signal or indicating device.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a balance showing my invention applied thereto operative to close the circuit of an indicating device to be actuated Whenthe balance; is in equilibrium. Figure 3 is a cross'sectional on the line 3-3 of F igure' t looking in the direction of'the arrow. I i Figure 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale or a carrier or container for afbody of mobile electric current jconductmg mateview taken 7 924. Serial m. 712,244.

rial arranged With a, restricted perforation trom which a globule of the mobile ,material is adapted to be projected by the' hea'd of said material in the container.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation,

partly broken away, taken on the line 5'5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and f c Figure 6 is a detail view showing the globule of mobile conducting material pro the drawing.

Inthe embodiment ofthe invention shown in the drawing a contact member in the form .jected fronra perforation in the container torsald material and which globule' conof a blade or arm 6 of conducting material I ispivota'lly suspended from a pin 7 or the like fixed in and projecting from a conductor plate8 secured to a panel 9 of insulating material, Whichpanelmay serve as a mountmg support for the cirjcuit closing means. The contact member 6 is electricallyconnected to a source o f electricity or current supply,,such as a battery 8, through the pivot. pin 7 and supporting plate 8 by a conductor 10 connected to abinding postqll carried by the contact supporting plate 8.

Abody of mobile current conducting ma terial 12. such as mercury, is contained within acarrier or container C This container is of what maybe termed U-shape having iiconnecting portion arranged with a restricted port through the upper wall with the surface of the material in the container above said connectingportion to provide an eflective head of the .material to project a globule of'the material beyond the outer surface of the connection portion of the conforce suflicient so that the surfacewor skin v n r u l tainer, the head of. the: material exerting a globule 'fronrrupturing and a consequent flow of the material from the container through said port.

The container jorfc arrier for the mobile conducting material comprises two pairs of chambers a, a, and b, b arranged/in spaced relation by. a' connecting portion 13 which is in asubstantiallyhorizontal plane, and the chambers of'each pairof chambers arranged j in spaced relation, as shown at 1 k. Each of the chambers 05, a and I), Z) are of greater length than width and separated into junta? posed vertical compartments 15. lhe container C is preferably of'integral structure of conducting material, as metal, and adapted to be mounted uponthe mounting panel 9, as by attachment means passing through a perforated lug 22 extending from the bottom i of the container andengaging in the panel, and arranged so that the pivoted contact arm 6 may oscillate in the space 11 be- ;tween therespective chambers, as indicated in full and dotted lines in Figure 1-. The

'material'in one compartment of the chambers is in comn' unication with the material connecting portion 18 of the chambers, which passages are in communication with each otherfthrougha passage 18 with 'which a oort 19 extendin vertically throu h the top wall of the GOIlIieCting portion 13 com- I nii'i'nic'ates, said port 19 being arranged in a line withthe path of movement of the oscillatory contact member that theextremity of the free end thereof willnot. contact therewith in its movement.

"17 are forined bydrilling in through the The port 19 is restricted relative to thepassages 17' and 18. The port 16 and passages end walls of thecontainer and the closing of said drillsholes plugs 20 (Figure 5), and

the transverse passage 18 with which the port 19 communicates is drilled throughthe side wall of the container and the drill hole closed by a plug 21's The mobile cur-rent conducting material is connected in circuit with the battery through the material of the container by a conductor 23 connected to a binding post mounted on the container.

As stated the circuit closing means 18 adapted to beactuated from a mechanism or apparatus to close an electric circuit to actu-' ate a signal or indicatorto indicate a'condition' of such mechanism or apparatus. In the presentinstance this is illustrated as a signal shown as an electric lamp 21 con I nected bya conductor 25 in a lighting circuit with' a source of electricity (not shown) Q asfa solenoid 'inagnet (indicated in a gensaid' conductor having contact terminals 26 arranged thereinjthrough which the circuit is adapted to be opened and closed by a cir cuit closing and opening "contact member 27,

actuated by a closingof the circuit for the battery B. The contact actuato-r'is shown e'r al way at S) interposed in the conductor i23 and to the'core of which solenoid the contact member 27 is connected in insulated relation thereto.

6 but in a plane so lamp 2 1.

through the mercury, container and conductor 23, and conductor 10.

the contact member 6 and the iisthe circuit of battery B is closed the coil of the solenoid will be energized causing the solenoid coreto move the connected contact member 2? from 'the dotted line "to thefull line position and close the circuitof the lamp 21 through the contact terminals 26. f

The globule of the mobile conducting material projected from the port 19 is held intact by the surface or skin tension of the material, andthe effective head of the mercury in the container is such as not to project the globule to such an extent that the surface of the globules will be ruptured or broken by the contact 6, but such that the contact will just come in contact with the globule with practically'no friction to retard the movement of the contact 6 and to distort the surface of the material of the globule as shownin Figure 6.

7 The contact member :6 is adapted to close v the circuit in a predetern'iined position thereof and to open thercircuit, when it is anism, to indicate whether the weighing mechanism is in overload or undcrload posi- 7 tion or in position of equilibrium, the same being shown in' the present instance for illustrative purposes to indicate-the position of equilibrium of a weighing mechanisn'i. For this purpose the weighing mechanism, such as a scale beam, (not shown) is oper atively connected to the contact member 6 by a connector 28. (Figure 1.) Y its the weighinginechanism is in overload position the contact member 6 will be moved to the full line position shown in'Figure 1, hen the mechanism is in underload position it will be moved in the position indicated in dotted lines 6 and when the n'iechanism is in equilibrium the contact memberwill be moved to the position 6 in contact with the globule-projecting beyondthe port 19 thereby closing the circuit for the signal or In commercialtuse of this circuit closing means great difficulty has beeinfoundto prevent the head of the material carried in 'bration causedthe globule the container from exerting such aforce as to project the globule from the'port 19 to .such an extent as to subject the same to too ;great a stress as to rupture the globule with the consequent flow of the material fromthe container through the port 19. If the level of the mercury was too low there would not be suflicient head to project the globule from the port a distance sufficient to allow the contact 6 to contact therewith; If additional mercury was supplied to thecontainer to raise the level and head thereof the globulewould be projected a sufficient distance to permit the contact member 6 to con tact therewith. However, any ordinary vito break and the mercury to fiowfrom the container through the port 19 until such aquantity of the mercury hadrun outthat there would not be sufficient in the container to project a portion thereof in the form of a globule through the port 19. After extended experiment it was found that the cause of the globule 'ormercury to break was due to the surging of the mercury in the container caused by ordinary vibration, which surging'of the material caused a momentary increase in the effective head of the material in the con tainer which was suflicient to exert a force to break the globule projected from the 7 port 19 and the consequent flowvof the meronly from the container. To overcome this disadvantage and, prevent the surging of the mercury the container was separated into the juxtaposed chambers, which arrangement of the container maintains the mercury practically stable under all conditions of excessive vibration and even when subjected to sudden ars I In F1gure2 I have shown the invention applied to an ordinary balance consisting of a counterbalance lever 30 pivotally supportedintermediate its ends by the pivot pin 7 upon the mounting panel 9 and arranged with load supports at opposite ends.

The contact making member 6 is fixed to the pivot support to participate in the movement thereof. The carrier C for the mobile current conducting material 12 is arranged on the mounting panelin a manneras hereinbefore described so that the projected globule will be in position for contact by the contact member 6 when. the bal ance is in equilibrium to close the circuit and adapted to open the circuit when the contact 6 is moved out of said position.

Having thus described my invention I claim: i

1. In an electric circuit closure, a m'ov" able contact member arranged for connection in circuit with a source of electricity, and

a carrier for a body of mobile electric current conducting material arranged for connecting said material in the circuit'of said movable contact with the source of electricity, said carrier having a port in line with the movement of the movable contact through which a 'globule of the mobile materrialhis adapted to be projected by the hydraulic head of the body ofsaid material for contact by close the circuit. r v H i 2. In anelectric circuit closure, a movable contact member arranged for connection in circuit with a source ofelectricity, a mobile current conducting material, and a container for said material having'means for connecting the mobile materialcarried therein in the circuit of the movable contact with the source-ofelectricity 'andhaving a port below the level of the mobilematerial therein and arranged in line with the movement of the movablecontact, the hydraulic head of the mobile material in saidv container be-1i ring adapted to project aglobuleof the material through the port beyond the surface movement of the movable contact and through which port the hydraulic-head of the body of the mobile material is adapted to project a g'lobule of said material and retained in projected position by the surface tension of said material: to be engaged by the movable contact'to close the circuit of the circuit closing means, i i

4;. In an electric circuitcloser, a contact member arranged for connection with a source of electricity; a Ushaped container for a mobile current conducting material :having a port in the connecting portion between the. legs of said container through which a globule of the mobile material is adapted to be projected by the hydraulic" head of the-material in the container and held intact in projected position by the surface tension of the material for contact by the contact member to close the circuit; and means carried by the container for connect ing the mobile material with the source of electricity.- 4

5. In an electric circuit closer, a movable contact member arranged a for connection with a source of electricity; a mobilecurrent conductingmaterial; a U-shaped con-' tainer for said material arranged with means for connecting the mobile material carrier therein with the source of electricity the contact member at a pre determined point in the movement thereof to member,

jected by the hydraulic head of the material in the container for contact by the movable contact member to close the circuit, and said container being arranged to prevent surging of the mobile material and an increase in the eii ective head of said material in the container.

' source of electricity, and

6. In an electric circuit closer, a cont-art member arranged for connection with a a carrier for a body of mobile'electric current conducting mate- I'lZLllIELV1I1g a port and arranged tor conj necting said material with the source of. electricity, the hydrauhchead of the material contact by in the carrier being adapted to project a globule of the material beyond the port for the contact member to close the circuit, and saidcarrier arranged to prevent *surgmg of the mobile material and an increase in the effective head of said material *inthe container.

7. In an electric circuit closer, a. contact -member "arranged for connection With a source of electricity, .and a carrier for a body'ot mobile GlQCtllC current conductingmaterial having a port and arranged for i connecting said material with the source of electricity, the hydraulic head of the material in the carrier being adaptedto project a globule of the material beyond the por for contact by the contact member to close "the circuit, and said carrier arranged with I a seriesot compartments in communication with each other and the restricted port for the purpose specified.

SL In an electric circuit closer, a movable contact arranged tor connection with a source of electricity, and a carrier for a body ot'moblle'electrlc current conducting material, comprising connected chambers with 'the connecting portion arranged in a plane below the top of the chambers and having a port therein in interposed relation to the chan'ibe'rs andin line with the movement of the movable contact members, and the hy "draulic head of the material in the chambers adapted to project a globule of the mobile material. through said port forcontact by the movable member, and means, for connecting the mobile material with the source of electricity. I

9. in an elect ic circuit closer, a movable contact arranged 1 for connection with a source of electricity, and a carrier for a body (it mobile electric current conducting material, comprising connected, chambers with the connecting portion arranged in a plane below the top ol the chambers and having a restricted port therein in interposedrelation to the chambers and in line with the movement oi the movable contact member, each of said chambers being arranged With juxtaposed vertical compartments in communication with each other and the connect-- ing portion having the restricted port to maintain the hydraulic head of the material I chambers and with the chambers of. each pair of chambers in spaced relation for the movement of the movable contact therebetween, and the two pairs of chambershaving a connecting portion arranged in a horizontal plane below the top of the chambers having a restricted port, therein extending in a vertical direction through the upper horizontal wall in line with the movement of the movable support, and the hydraulic head of the mobile material in said chambers being adapted to project a globule of the material from the restricted port for contact by the movable contact to close the circuit, and means for connecting the mobile material with the source of electricity.

- Signed at Passaic, in the county of Passai c, and State of New Jersey this 7th day of April,1924t.

HERBERT L. MERRICK. 

